Country
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic has made progress on tobacco control in recent years. However, people continue to die and become sick needlessly, and the costs to society from tobacco use continue to mount. the Czech Republic can still do more to make the proven tobacco control tools work for its citizens’ wellbeing.
Issues
Tobacco harms the health, the treasury, and the spirit of the Czech Republic. Every year, more than 17600 of its people are killed by tobacco-caused disease. Still, more than 17000 children (10-14 years old) and 1671000 adults (15+ years old) continue to use tobacco each day. Complacency in the face of the tobacco epidemic insulates the tobacco industry in the Czech Republic and ensures that tobacco's death toll will grow every year. Tobacco control advocates must reach out to other communities and resources to strengthen their efforts and create change.
Smoking Deaths
Adult Smoking (15+ Y.O.)
using tobacco daily: 2015
21.8%
Even though fewer men smoke on average in the Czech Republic than on average in very high-HDI countries, there are still more than 977000 men who smoke cigarettes each day, making it an ongoing and dire public health threat.
Children Smoking(10–14 Y.O.)
% using tobacco daily: 2015
3.32%
More boys smoke in the Czech Republic than on average in very high-HDI countries.
Deaths
% caused by tobacco: 2016
21.33%
More men die in the Czech Republic than on average in very high-HDI countries.
Adult Smoking (15+ Y.O.)
% using tobacco daily: 2015
14.8%
More women smoke in the Czech Republic than on average in very high-HDI countries.
Children Smoking (10–14 Y.O.)
% using tobacco daily: 2015
4.47%
More girls smoke in the Czech Republic than on average in very high-HDI countries.
Deaths
% caused by tobacco: 2016
11.28%
More women die in the Czech Republic than on average in very high-HDI countries.
Smokeless Tobacco
% using tobacco daily: 2013
1.7%
Even though fewer people use smokeless tobacco on average in the Czech Republic than on average in very high-HDI countries, 152400 people still currently use smokeless tobacco, indicating an ongoing public health challenge, including heightened levels of oral cancers.
Societal Harms
The economic cost of smoking in the Czech Republic amounts to 103265 million koruna. This includes direct costs related to healthcare expenditures and indirect costs related to lost productivity due to early mortality and morbidity.
Tobacco Use Also...
Harms Development
Buying tobacco robs families of the resources they may need to rise out of poverty. A smoker in the Czech Republic would have to spend 3.43% of their average income (measured by per capita GDP) to purchase 10 of the most popular cigarettes to smoke daily each year!
Harms Development
Harms Environment
Cigarette butts are the most commonly discarded pieces of waste worldwide. It is estimated that 10272 tonnes of butts and packs wind up as toxic trash in the Czech Republic each year. This is roughly equivalent to the weight of 2054 endangered African elephants.
Harms Environment
Harms Equality
To appeal to more customers, the tobacco industry markets its products aggressively to women and children.
Harms Equality
Harms NCDs
People living with mental illness are nearly twice as likely to smoke as other individuals.
Harms NCDs
Industry
The combined revenues of the world's 6 largest tobacco companies in 2016 was more than USD 346 Billion, 90% larger than the Gross National Income of the Czech Republic. The industry is a powerful force that does not fear the actions of nation-states because of their extensive resources and global market power.
Growing
n/a
Production
There were 35.54 billion cigarettes produced in the Czech Republic in 2016. Cigarette imports exceeded cigarette exports in the Czech Republic in 2016, which hurt the country's trade balance.
Solutions
Current Policy in the Czech Republic
Protect from Smoke
All public places completely smoke-free is the best practice
Smokefree
n/a
HealthCare Facilities
n/a
Educational Facilities
n/a
Universities
n/a
Government Facilities
n/a
Indoor Offices
n/a
Restaurants
n/a
Pubs and Bars
n/a
Public Transport
n/a
All Other Indoor Public Places
n/a
Funds for Smokefree Enforcement
Offer Help
National quit line and both NRT and cessation-services cost-covered is the best practice
Warn About the Dangers to Tobacco Users on Product Packaging
A plain, standardized pack with a large health warning is the best practice
Warn About the Dangers to the Whole Population in a Media Campaign
Enforce Bans on Advertising
Ban on all forms of direct and indirect advertising is the best practice
Number of Direct Ad Bans
5/7
possible bans
Number of Indirect Ad Bans
3/10
possible bans
Ad Ban Compliance Percent
High
Direct Bans
- National TV and radio
- International TV and radio
- Local magazines and newspapers
- International magazines and newspapers
- Billboard and outdoor advertising
- Advertising at point of sale
- Advertising on internet
Indirect Bans
- Free distribution in mail or through other means
- Promotional discounts
- Non-tobacco products identified with tobacco brand names
- Brand name of non-tobacco products used for tobacco product
- Appearance in TV and/or films: tobacco brands (product placement)
- Appearance in TV and/or films: tobacco products
- Prescribed anti-tobacco ads required for any visual entertainment media product that depicts tobacco products, use or images
- Complete ban on sponsorship
- Any form of contribution (financial or other support) to any event, activity or individual
- Ban on the publicity of financial or other sponsorship or support by the tobacco industry of events, activities, individuals
Raise Taxes
Excise Tax as a % of Cigarette Price
WHO Benchmark
Minimum 70%
of Retail Price is Excise Tax
Czech Republic
60.1%
of Retail Price is Excise Tax
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